With thanks...

I want to thank those of you 16 parents (and guests from Argentina!) who were able to come to the Parent Engagement session this morning. It was really so great to see you and I hope you found the time beneficial. 

I so enjoyed seeing you interact with your sweetie (and "adopted" students) as you engaged in shared reading and writing post-it notes about your thinking. 

For those of you who were unable to come, please avail yourself of these resources: 

1. Outline of our "lesson"

2. Review of a Just Right book

3. Bookmark (prompts to help you interact at home...see pic)

4. Cookie recipe (So sorry that you missed out on these as they really are yummy!) 

5. Pictures from our time together. (I regret that I was unable to photography everyone.)

6. Finally, after parents left, the class wanted me to read the rest of the book, Goal, as some didn't get a chance to finish because they were too busy writing great post-it notes. 

After reading the book, we read the Author's note and I shared how the comments the author made about soccer being a sport that is loved around the world reminded me of an inspiration story I heard once, which you may learn about here. It's truly amazing to consider that where there's a will, there's a way. Follow your dream, even if you have to invent things along the way to realize it. I also love the quote, "Dreams don't work unless you do." 

Also, as for the cookies, to make them even better, here are some suggested modifications:

• I always double the recipe when making them. I feel like if you go to the trouble of making cookies, you should be able to enjoy a fair amount and also have some leftover to share. 

• I use President Butter (French). For the conversion, it comes out to 227 grams of butter that are needed. I also have it thawed, but slightly chilled as it seems to yield a better cookie.

• Cook at 177 C for 10 min. Every oven is different, but try not to over-bake them. They are better if slightly soft. When they start to smell amazing and look a tiny bit golden, they are most likely done. They will also continue to cook for 1-2 min. even after you remove them from the oven, so keep that in mind.

• I also use 1 teaspoon of baking soda, not 1/4 teaspoon. I like the cookies to be a little puffy, so this helps to do that.

• Don't forget to sprinkle with ground salt before putting them into the oven. I sometimes forget that last step!

Parent Engagement Reminder/Update

Remember to mark your calendars for our Parent Engagement session on Interactive reading next Wednesday from 8-8:45 am in our classroom. If you missed this post, please find it here. 

Also, parents are most welcome to visit the library at any time next week. Mrs. Mollenkramer is happy to speak to you about choosing just right books for your child. Mrs. Williams will have an open classroom on Wednesday from 11:10-11:50, which is our regular, scheduled art class.  

And, if you're wondering about Arabic, here's a note from them: 

Marhaban, have you wandered what your children are learning in Arabic class? Come and Join us on  Wednesday, from 12:30-1:10 to experience what Arabic class is like. Students will share some of what they have learned and you will have a hand on Arabic learning experience 

Grade 5 : Period 1(  7:50 to 8:30 ) 5ML / 5SM/ 5HM / 5KM

                  Period 2 ( 8:30 to 9:10 ) 5JO /  5AM / 5AV

Grade 4:  Period 5 ( 10 :30 to 11:10 ) 4VW / 4 NB / 4JC / 4KW

                  Period 7 ( 11:50 to 11:30 )  4BK / 4BL / 4KS

Grade 3 :Period 8 ( 12:30 - 1:10 )  3 JC / 3DC / 3LN/ 3 JW

                Period 9 ( 1:10 - 1:50 )     3OP/ 3DMC / 3LR / 3AG

Looking forward to (hopefully) seeing you then! 

Decimal Practice

Here are some fantastic resources you an use at home to help you master your decimal and fraction skills:

• Decimals
• Times Table Practice (self-checking) 
• Place Value (not decimals) 
• Place Value Millionaire
• Online Stopwatch

Have fun! 

Biography Resource

I wanted to share a fantastic resource that we learned from Ms. Rashmi, our lovely ELL teacher. It's something your child can do in his/her free time or for a bit of extra homework. (Even I enjoy reading these as they are a very quick, concise way to learn about people who changed history.)

It's called PebbleGo and you can access it by following these simple steps:

1. Go to the DAA Community Portal.
2. Click on the Library tab at the top.
3. Click on DAA Elementary Library, which is the link directly underneath Academic Search.
4. You are now on the DAA Elem. Library Page.
5. Click the second heading: "Database for PS."
6. Click PebbleGo for Primary (this is appropriate for our age-level as well)
7. Once you're in, you can click on Biographies.
8. After reading, your child should be able to answer the following for questions:

• Who is your subject? (includes name, date of birth, death, facts about life, etc.)
• What did he or she want? (freedom, to find a way to allow blind people to read, etc.) 
• What were some of his or her struggles? 
• How did he or she overcome those struggles?

Also, please be sure to check the extras at the bottom of each biography as they include an activity page, video, timeline, and related articles. 

Parent Engagement Invitation

Parent Engagement Invitation

Have you ever wondered if your child is reading a “just right” book or if they even know how to select one? Or, have you been curious to know more about how you can read in a greater interactive way with your child at home? Maybe you’re wondering if your child is really even thinking while he/she is reading.

If you’ve ever pondered any of these questions, then you will benefit from our Grade 3 session during Parent Engagement Week.

I would like to invite you to come join us in our classroom for one 40-min. lesson on Wednesday, January 28, from 8:00-8:45 AM where you will learn more about collaborative reading, ways to show what we are thinking about our reading, and a chance to practice with your child in a true Reader’s “Workshop” style.  

As a Grade 3 Team, it is our hope that this session will enable you to learn a few very practical ways to help your child soar as a lifelong reader. Participating parents will also receive a handy reading tool to use at home...and maybe even a homemade cookie. ☺

We hope to see you then! #savethedate

Book Recommendation

After the recent unity march in Paris, it was timely that our dear Mia brought in this great book, which runs along the same vein of firmly standing for freedom, bravely speaking out against violence, and inspiring others to stand in unity for basic human rights. 

The interactive read aloud raised a few thought-provoking questions, so I was mindful to keep my responses as age-appropriate as possible. Clearly, many of the children are beginning to see the precious value of education, freedom of expression, and how even one person can have a profound impact on the world. 

So, in the event that your sweetie asks you any questions about such a deep topic, please consider this a heads-up. :) 

Helpful resources: 

• Malala Yousafzai 
• Iqbal Masih

Iqbal Masih

ASA Ending Dates

For more information, please visit the ASA blog. 

Field Trip Recap

Our field trip today to the Dubai Museum and the Sheikh Mohamed Centre for Cultural Understanding was a fantastic time for everyone as we enjoyed a beautiful day, smooth trip and plenty of hands-on learning. 

Together with Ms. Connor's Class (3DC), we first visited the Dubai Museum where we explored the traditional Bedouin houses, including the wind tower, then the underground "souk" area, which was just fascinating. The children were impressed to see the life-like statues set up as they would've been in the not-too-distant past. It was particularly interesting to visit the pearl diving exhibit as we recently read The Pearl Diver by Julia Johnson, a captivating fictional account based on real events. 

The class was intrigued to see ancient findings from recent excavations of Jumeirah, Al Barsha and Bur Dubai as they included skeletons (eek!), as well as pottery, jewelry and weapons from 3,000 B.C. 

After the museum, we walked about 10 minutes through the historical neighborhood of Bastikiya and the Al Fahidi District in Bur Dubai. (Even that was interesting as we passed textile shops and other stores, which have been around for many years.) 

Soon, we arrived to the cultural center where the students removed their shoes and entered the majlis area of a relatively old (1941) traditional wind-tower Emirati villa. 

Ms. Debbie, as well as Ms. Danielle, were our hosts and did an excellent job teaching the students about Emirati and Bedouin culture, customs and even a bit about the religion of Islam. 

Then, we happily moved onto the next event, which was drinking Arab coffee (with lightly roasted Arabic coffee beans, cardamon and saffron), eating delicious dates and finally, enjoying a traditional meal. The children seemed to love the main course, especially the dessert, however, some did not particularly prefer the coffee as you will see from their expressions in the photos. :) 

Their expressions while trying the coffee were truly priceless! 

It was truly a fantastic day of hands-on learning that we will all remember for a long time to come. I hope you will enjoy these photos of our special day. 

PS. A very special thank you to Angie (Maximo's mom) and Claudia (Andre's mom) who joined us. You were both such a tremendous help! 

New Year Wishes and News

I braved/welcomed 2015 down at the amazing
Burj Khalifa. It was definitely worth all the effort!  

A very warm "Happy New Year" to you each! I hope you enjoyed a restful and refreshing time with your family and friends over the holidays. Based on what the children shared with me, it sounds like most everyone had a really great time and I'm so glad. 

My holiday was very reflective as I had quality time to think, pray, and make some important decisions that will affect my future. And, though my family was 7,000 miles away, I enjoyed a "virtual Christmas" via Google Hangouts with them, which was just wonderful. I'm so very thankful for technology, which allowed me to feel like I was right there in my living room at home, opening gifts right along with them. Receiving the presents by mail, which I already opened virtually, will also be a fun, second Christmas for me. I'm expecting them by February...maybe. ha! 

The children seemed to be very happy to return to school, though they seemed just about as tired as I was on Sunday, our first day back. (Was it just me or did that alarm sound louder than usual? Lol.) It was a very calm, quiet, and easy-going day as we spent time sharing our happy news, holiday highlights, and getting back into the general swing of things. 

As the week has progressed, their energy seemed to be return and things are getting back to normal in our classroom. They have been working diligently to finish their informational/nonfiction books in writing and they have selected a biography book for our next reading unit, which will begin on Sunday. In math, we have begun Chapter 5, which covers place value and will include decimals and fractions. We will be skipping a few irrelevant lessons (4, 5, 6, 10, 12) and will spend more time on those lessons, which are typically challenging for students. We also begin an exciting unit in Social Studies about the Bedouins and Emiratis. It's always one of my favorites. 

You should have all received the news that we will be going on a field trip on Sunday. We are all greatly anticipating a wonderful time learning more about local culture as we visit the Dubai Museum and the Sheikh Mohamed Center for Cultural Understanding in the historical district near the creek. Last year, the children thoroughly benefited from this outing, so I expect this year will be no different. Kindly return the yellow permission slip and AED 65 by Thursday. 

In addition to this, there were some forms that went home today regarding Track and Field Day T-shirts. If you would like to order one, please also return that form and the money by Thursday, as well. 

I want to take this opportunity to sincerely thank you for the generous Christmas gift you gave me as a class. The Tips and Toes Gift Certificate for a manicure, pedicure, and hot lava rock massage was an amazing and apropos way to show your appreciation and love. THANK YOU!!! 

One last item. I just uploaded all of our class pictures from November and December. Please enjoy! 

I think that's it for now. Thanks for all of your wonderful support and I hope to see you soon. :) 

Looking forward to a fantastic 2015! 

The Nossal "Great Room," where I was virtually sitting with my family (including the dogs) on Christmas morning. My brother, Peter, and sister-in-law, Melissa, were also able to join us virtually from Pittsburgh, PA. We spent about 2 hours opening gifts, laughing, talking, and being "together."

My sister, Julie, was not exactly expecting this quick screenshot, but it gives you an idea of what a virtual Christmas looks like. See Peter on the lower right of the screen...and me, also. :)
If you don't use Google Hangouts, it's another great option in addition to Skype. 

My friends and I had a great time enjoying the fireworks downtown and I was particularly happy to see my dear friend and former colleague, Marcy (far left), who was visiting from the UK.  Happy 2015!!